Face Down
by Cody'sxFavoritexGirl
Summary: Zack Ryder can't stand to see the woman he loves be abused by her boyfriend any longer, so he decides to do something about it. Zack Ryder/OC song-fic written for XxRamyfanxX. Please R&R.


**A/N: I own nothing, so don't sue. This is a Zack Ryder/OC song-fic written for my writing buddy,** **XxRamyfanxX. I know I told you that this was going to be Zack/Eve, but I decided to surprise you. I hope you don't mind. The song used is "Face Down" by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. They own the amazing song, not me. Reviews are appreciated. Enjoy.**

**Face Down**

**Hey girl, you know you drive me crazy.**

**One look puts the rhythm in my hand.**

**Still I'll never understand why you hang around.**

**I see what's going down.**

Zack Ryder stared across the scuffed and worn wooden table at Mel Hearst-Helmsly. Mel had her head down and her brown eyes were fixed on one particular scratch mark in the surface of the table. So far she had refused to tell him where the many bruises on her arms and face had really come from, and had instead opted to use the old "I fell down the stairs" excuse. But Zack wasn't stupid. He knew that Mel was lying, and he knew exactly who she was lying for.

"Mel, don't try and sell me that bullshit," Zack said, keeping his eyes fixed on the gorgeous brunette. "You and I both know where those bruises really came from."

Mel remained mute, staring at that scratch mark as if it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"The thing I don't understand is why you stay with him. He hurts you and you just blow it off." Zack said, placing his hands on the table and fighting the urge to pound them into the wood until they bled. This whole thing was unbelievable to him. Why would anyone want to hurt someone so kind and selfless like Mel? "I just don't understand why you're still with him."

Mel finally ripped her eyes away from the tabletop and looked at Zack for the first time since she'd come walking up to him. "I'm still with him because I love him, Zack," she said, but her voice was a monotone, as if she'd been trained to say it. Or maybe it had been beaten into her.

Zack leaned forward and placed his hands over Mel's where they rested on the table. "Mel," he murmured, fighting the sadness that was washing over him in great waves. "You don't love him, and he sure as hell doesn't love you."

Mel's brown eyes flashed in her beaten face, and she ripped her hands away from his. "Of course I love him!" she snapped, anger sparking to life in her voice. "And he loves me! He said so!"

"Mel, if he loves you then why does he beat the hell out of you?" Zack demanded, getting a bit angry himself. "You don't beat the people you love."

Mel stood up abruptly, nearly knocking her chair over. "I'm done talking about this." She grabbed her water bottle and shot him a cool glare. "Come find me when you're done preaching."

Zack watched her storm away, his heart aching.

How could she be so blind?

**Cover up with makeup in the mirror.**

**Tell yourself it's never gonna happen again.**

**You cry alone and then he swears he loves you.**

After the show, Zack was walking down one of the backstage hallways to his locker room. As he passed Jack Swagger's locker room, he heard muffled cries and thuds coming from inside. His blood ran cold, and he ran towards the closed door.

He tried the knob, but the door was locked. Another thump came from inside and this time a pained scream escaped. Fury filled Zack, and he backed up until he was against the opposite wall. Then he lowered his shoulder and ran forward as fast as he could.

He slammed into the door and broke it open, and what he saw inside made his blood boil.

Mel huddled in the corner of the room, holding her hand to her bleeding nose and staring at him with wide eyes. Her boyfriend Jack Swagger spun around, his blonde hair ruffled and his face beet red.

His mouth moved, but Zack couldn't hear him through the pounding in his ears.

**Do you feel like a man when you push her around?**

**Do you feel better now as she falls to the ground?**

**Well I'll tell you my friend, one day this world's going to end.**

**As your lies crumble down, a new life she has found.**

"What the fuck have you done?" Zack growled, his hands curling into fists at his sides. He'd just had a match, but he wasn't too tired to beat the shit out of Swagger.

Jack decided to try and play dumb. "What are you talking about?" he asked, blinking innocently.

Zack advanced towards him, his blue eyes sparking with rage. "What. Have. You. Done. To. Her?" he hissed, spitting out each word through clenched teeth.

Realizing that Zack wasn't buying his innocent act, Jack got vicious. "Get the fuck out of my locker room, Ryder. This is none of your business."

Zack moved so fast that it seemed like he was flying. He slammed into Jack and shoved him back into the wall. "You made it my business when you started beating Mel," he spat, thrusting his face close to Jack's. When Jack didn't reply, Zack cocked his head to one side and sneered at him. "What's the matter Jack? I'm not a helpless woman, so you're not going to hit me? Come on, take your best shot. Let's see what happens when you try and mess with someone who can hit back."

**A pebble in the water makes a ripple effect.**

**Every action in this world will bear a consequence.**

**If you wade around forever you will surely drown.**

**I see what's going down.**

Jack got angry then, and he shoved Zack away from him. "Fuck you."

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Zack taunted. He got up in Jack's face again. "Come on, Jack. You know you want to hit me for that. I can see it in your eyes. Take out all of your aggression on me."

Jack growled low in his throat but didn't move.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Zack said, staring right into Jack's eyes. "You're too much of a coward to attack me."

Jack's body tensed, and Zack had just enough time to jump back as a fist came flying at him. Jack's blow missed him by a few inches, and Zack took advantage of the miss by leaping at Jack. He knocked the taller man to the ground and began to hit him over and over, his mind filled with all of the times that he'd justified hitting Mel by saying that she'd brought it on herself. He'd had enough of hearing Jack insist that the abuse was the right thing to do.

**I see the way you go and say you're right again.**

**Say you're right again.**

**Heed my lecture.**

After what must have been a minute of beating the crap out of Jack, a soft hand fell on Zack's arm, and a shaky voice said, "Zack. Zack, stop. That's enough."

Zack stopped hitting Jack–who at that point had passed out–and slowly stood up. Mel kept her hand on his arm, and after a moment, Zack turned to look at her. Mel's nose had stopped bleeding but there were tears in her eyes and a fresh bruise on her cheek. He noticed that she was shaking, and his heart broke.

"Come here," he murmured, and he pulled Mel into his arms. She rested her head on his chest and sobbed, and he rubbed her back soothingly and kissed the top of her head. "It's okay," he crooned. "He won't hurt you ever again. Not while I'm around."

Mel lifted her head from his chest and gazed up at him, the tears still rolling down her cheeks. "Thank you so much for saving me, Zack," she whispered, wiping them away with her hand. "I see now how stupid I was. Jack doesn't love me. But you...you do, don't you?"

Zack smiled sweetly at her and pushed her hair gently out of her face. "Yes," he admitted, his voice soft. "Yes, I do."

Mel returned his smile, and then she placed one hand on the back of his head and pulled it down. Their lips met, and Zack closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around her as he kissed her passionately.

Mel was his, and he would never let anyone hurt her ever again.

**Do you feel like a man when you push her around?**

**Do you feel better now as she falls to the ground?**

**Well I'll tell you my friend, one day this world's going to end.**

**As your lies crumble down, a new life she has found.**

**END**


End file.
